Restaurant in Asheville, United States
The dinner call if you're staying in Highlands.
Madison's is the fine-dining anchor of the Forbes Four-Star Old Edwards Inn & Spa in Highlands, NC. Chef Chris Huerta's seasonally sourced menu and sommelier Phillippe Brainos's European wine program make dinner worth booking ahead. The chocolate bourbon soufflé is a recurring special — ask about it when you reserve. Rated 4.5 across 442 Google reviews.
If you are staying at Old Edwards Inn & Spa in Highlands, NC, Madison's is the right call for dinner — full stop. The real insider move for anyone not already a guest: request a dinner reservation as early in your trip planning as possible. The dining room fills with hotel guests and loyal locals, and walk-in availability at dinner is genuinely tight. Breakfast (7–10 a.m.) and lunch (11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.) are more accessible if you want to get a feel for the kitchen before committing to a full evening.
Madison's sits off the main lobby of the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Old Edwards Inn & Spa at 445 Main Street, Highlands, NC — a mountain resort town about two hours from Asheville proper. That context matters: this is not a city restaurant that happens to be attached to a hotel. It is the culinary anchor of a sprawling historic inn, and the kitchen operates accordingly. Chef Chris Huerta sources heavily from the resort's own gardens and greenhouses, which shapes the seasonally driven menu in a way that feels coherent rather than performative. A garden salad here arrives with farm-fresh vegetables and edible flower garnishes , the plate is as considered as anything you would find at a white-tablecloth standalone.
The dinner service (6–9 p.m.) is where the kitchen shows its range. The menu moves through Southern-influenced American fare built around what the gardens and local suppliers are producing. The rib eye is a reliable anchor for meat eaters, and the chocolate bourbon soufflé , overseen by Executive Pastry Chef Vinzenz Aschbacher , appears frequently enough to be worth asking about when you book. It does not sit on the printed menu every night, but it is a frequent special and worth requesting. For wine, put yourself in the hands of sommelier Phillippe Brainos: his list leans toward European reds, and he is the kind of specialist who can build a progression across your meal rather than just pouring by the glass.
That wine-and-food arc is worth leaning into at dinner. Madison's is structured more like a composed fine-dining experience than a choose-your-own-adventure menu. The progression from seasonally sourced starters through to the pastry kitchen's dessert program reads as deliberate. For returning guests, the move is to give Brainos latitude with the wine pairing and let the kitchen's seasonal selections guide the meal rather than ordering defensively from the printed menu.
Google reviewers rate it 4.5 across 442 reviews , unusually consistent for a hotel restaurant operating across three distinct meal periods. The Forbes Four-Star rating on the parent property sets a service standard that the dining room largely matches.
Madison's is the right choice for a special-occasion dinner when you are already in the Highlands area. Couples celebrating anniversaries, small groups using the inn for a retreat, and solo travelers staying at Old Edwards who want a proper evening , all land well here. It is a less obvious fit if you are driving two hours from Asheville specifically for dinner and have not booked the inn. At that distance, there are stronger standalone reasons to make the trip than the restaurant alone, unless the soufflé or Brainos's wine program is specifically the draw.
Reservations: Book as far ahead as possible; dinner fills with hotel guests and regulars. Hours: Breakfast 7–10 a.m., Lunch 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m., Dinner 6–9 p.m. Dress: Casually elegant , blazers and summer dresses are common at dinner, but khakis and loafers are equally accepted. No strict formal requirement. Location: 445 Main St, Highlands, NC 28741, inside Old Edwards Inn & Spa. Google Rating: 4.5 (442 reviews). Price Range: Not published; expect fine-dining price points given the Forbes Four-Star context. Wine: Ask for Phillippe Brainos by name if you want a curated wine progression through dinner.
For a broader view of the region: our full Asheville restaurants guide, Asheville hotels guide, Asheville bars guide, Asheville wineries guide, and Asheville experiences guide.
If you are benchmarking against other inn-anchored fine dining or seasonally driven American kitchens, Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg and The Catbird Seat in Nashville represent the upper tier of what this format can deliver. Harken Cafe in Charleston is a useful Southern American reference at a more accessible price point.
Madison's operates across three meal periods, but dinner is the main event. Go in knowing the menu is seasonally driven and sourced partly from the resort's own gardens. Ask about the chocolate bourbon soufflé when you book , it is a recurring special rather than a menu fixture. Budget for fine-dining prices consistent with a Forbes Four-Star property. Breakfast is the lowest-barrier entry point if you want to assess the kitchen before a full dinner spend.
The rib eye is a consistently noted anchor on the dinner menu. The garden salad punches above its category , farm-fresh vegetables and edible flower garnishes make it worth ordering. For dessert, ask specifically about the chocolate bourbon soufflé; Executive Pastry Chef Vinzenz Aschbacher runs it as a frequent special. On wine, defer to sommelier Phillippe Brainos and his European red selection rather than ordering by the glass independently.
Yes , it is one of the better special-occasion options in the Highlands area. The upscale room, Forbes Four-Star service standard, and a sommelier capable of building a wine arc through your meal make it a strong anniversary or celebration dinner. If you are comparing it to urban fine-dining options for a big occasion, the Dining Room at Inn on Biltmore Estate in Asheville proper offers a similar inn-anchored format closer to the city.
Casually elegant is the working dress code. Blazers and dresses are common at dinner; khakis and loafers are equally acceptable. There is no strict formal requirement, so do not stress about a tie , but shorts and athletic wear would be out of place at dinner. Breakfast and lunch are more relaxed.
Manageable, but the format skews toward couples and small groups. Solo diners staying at Old Edwards have the most natural entry point , you are already on property and the staff are accustomed to hotel guests dining alone. If you are visiting specifically as a solo diner from outside the inn, lunch is a lower-pressure format than dinner.
Bar seating specifics are not confirmed in our data. Given the hotel restaurant format and the casually elegant service standard, there is likely some bar or lounge option, but we cannot confirm capacity or availability. Contact Old Edwards Inn directly to ask about bar seating before assuming it is an option for walk-ins.
Small groups , four to eight , fit well within the restaurant's format and the inn's event capabilities. For larger private groups or event buyouts, contact Old Edwards Inn & Spa directly; the property has broader event infrastructure. Specific private dining room details are not confirmed in our data, so do not assume availability without asking.
For fine dining in Asheville proper, the Dining Room at Inn on Biltmore Estate is the closest comparable inn-anchored experience. For something more casual and city-centric, Cúrate (Spanish tapas) and Benne On Eagle (Afro-Appalachian) are stronger options. Blackbird is worth checking if you want Asheville fine dining without the hotel context. Note that Madison's is in Highlands, NC , about two hours from Asheville , so direct city comparisons involve a significant drive.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison's Restaurant and Wine Garden | American Southern | Hard | |
| Cúrate | Spanish - Tapas Bar | Unknown | |
| Chai Pani Asheville | Indian | Unknown | |
| Dining Room at Inn on Biltmore Estate | American Fine | Unknown | |
| OWL Bakery | American Bakery | Unknown | |
| The Admiral | Regional American | Unknown |
How Madison's Restaurant and Wine Garden stacks up against the competition.
Madison's can handle small groups for dinner, but book well ahead — the dining room fills with hotel guests and local regulars. For parties of six or more, contact Old Edwards Inn directly to discuss seating arrangements. The upscale setting suits celebration dinners, but this is not a venue for loud, large-party gatherings.
Madison's is in Highlands, roughly 90 minutes from Asheville proper, so direct comparisons shift by location. In Asheville, Cúrate delivers serious Spanish technique at a higher volume, while The Admiral is the go-to for ingredient-driven American cooking with a more casual edge. If you want hotel-anchored fine dining closer to Asheville, the Dining Room at Inn on Biltmore Estate is the most direct equivalent.
Madison's sits off the main lobby of the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Old Edwards Inn & Spa at 445 Main Street, Highlands — it is a hotel restaurant, but one that functions as the community's fine dining anchor. Dinner (6–9 p.m.) is the main event: more formal, seasonally driven menu, and a strong European wine list guided by sommelier Phillippe Brainos. Breakfast and lunch are more relaxed and lower-stakes if you want to try the kitchen without committing to a full dinner.
Bar seating availability is not confirmed in the venue record, so check directly with Old Edwards Inn when booking. The wine program is a genuine draw — sommelier Phillippe Brainos works a deep list of European reds — so if bar access is available, it is worth pursuing for a wine-led experience.
Yes — this is one of the clearest use cases for Madison's. The setting inside a Forbes Four-Star property, the garden-sourced menu from Chef Chris Huerta, and a sommelier-led wine program all position it for anniversaries and milestone dinners. Book dinner rather than lunch for the full experience, and give sommelier Phillippe Brainos a budget to work with on wine.
Solo dining works here, especially for guests staying at Old Edwards Inn. The atmosphere skews toward couples and small groups at dinner, so solo diners may feel more comfortable at breakfast or lunch, where the format is looser. If bar seating is an option at dinner, that is the better route — confirm availability when you book.
The venue describes its dress code as versatile: regulars show up in blazers and dresses, others in khakis and loafers — both are acceptable. Err toward smart for dinner given the Forbes Four-Star hotel setting; you will not be out of place in a jacket, but you will not be turned away without one. Breakfast and lunch are more casual.
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